Robotic research platforms have been developed for interacting with people in home situations, such as the elderly, children, or others who may benefit from an interactive robot assistant. These robotic platforms often do not consider the actual home environment, or personal preferences and concerns, such as making a companion robot non-intrusive and a welcome guest in the home environment.
Certain platforms have been developed which assist caregivers in carrying medications, providing amusing interaction, and/or providing teleconferencing tools, many remain research platforms: they tend to be so large, heavy, and unwieldy, as to be inappropriate for use in an ordinary home. These robotic platforms are generally tested in institutions, where some surveillance is expected and privacy and personal dignity tend already to be adversely affected, and may not be suitable for use in private homes, where expectations for privacy protection are higher.
Simply making a robot smaller, however, does not correct these shortcomings. Though a robot may be sufficiently small to be carried, the contemplated use is typically in a single room, with limited ability to be useful throughout an entire home. Low-weight platforms tend also to be low to the ground, and generally out of view of residents who may be moving about in the same rooms, creating a danger for those with balance or mobility issues. In short, previous robots suffer from limited usability, and thus do not function as a welcoming and versatile assistant to a human.